2010 may have been the year you dipped your toe in social media but 2011 can be the year you take the plunge to really take advantage of the different social networking platforms that can boost your business’s public relations’ strategy.
Here are my recommendations for 2011 New Year resolutions to boost your PR efforts with social media.
Resolution One: I will start a blog and keep a blog
Just like a new year’s diet, a blog is very easy to start and very easy to give up on! However with a little dedication you can get your business blog up and running with regular entries, if you are reasonable with yourself.
There is no point committing to a blog post a day if you will run out of steam after two weeks. Remember blog posts can be short or long, you can include original ideas or make comment on another article or blog you have read as long as you link to it and properly reference it.
A blog will help raise your profile in your industry, position you as an expert and increase your SEO…all great reasons for Resolution One!
Resolution Two: I will teach myself about more social media
Maybe you’re feeling pretty comfortable on Facebook or you tweet like crazy; then make 2011 all about teaching yourself about another social media platform. Have you checked in on Foursquare or got linking on LinkedIn?
Don’t just sign up and forget about it, explore it, read blogs about it, check out the FAQs and become an expert on that platform and how you can use it to your advantage. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn and how much more you could be getting out of these avenues.
Resolution Three: I will self publish my own news
The beauty of online is that you have the resources at your fingertips to become your own publisher. Write articles and media releases and post them on your website, include them on your blog, upload them to PR websites and put them out there on Twitter and Facebook.
If you’re lucky enough to get coverage in an online publication, share the joy on social media by sharing the links to the stories, this is a great way to attract more eyes to a credibly written story.
Resolution Four: I will interlink my social media accounts
You might have started with only a Facebook profile, now you have a fan-page, a Twitter account, a LinkedIn profile and when it comes to social media you’re still expanding. One of the easiest ways to stay on top of all your platforms is by interlinking them.
You can feed your Facebook page into your Twitter and your Twitter into your LinkedIn, which means you only have to update one page and all your different audiences receive the message. It is still important to visit each platform regularly to monitor the conversations that are taking place but interlinking will make day to day social networking much easier.
Resolution Five: I will take my social networking into the real world
Sometimes it can get quite comfy sitting behind your computer screen or your mobile phone engaging with hundreds of invisible people, but social media is just the starting point. When it comes to cementing relationships personally or for business, you need to take your networking into the real world.
There are meet-ups happening all over the world where you can come face to face with your best Twitter mates. By meeting IRL (In Real Life) you will actually increase your online interactions and more opportunities will present themselves. There is still something nice about meeting someone face to face and social media should not be restricted to the online world.
2011 is bound to be an exciting year and who knows what changes will have happened in the social media and PR world by this time next year – best of luck with your New Year’s resolutions!
